Thursday, August 29, 2013

Each week we will spotlight a different DPW artist who will give away one of their best paintings.To enter to win John's painting, "Tivoli Bowl" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing his interview.

From John's DPW Gallery page:

John Walker studied art and design at the College of DuPage in Wheaton IL, and illustration the American Academy of Art in Chicago IL. Upon graduation he worked at Chicago art studio, Feldkamp/Malloy, before becoming a staff illustrator at Higgins Hegner Genovese and later a freelance artist with Frank Lux and Associates. After a time he began working from his own studio, and created artwork for a diverse group of advertising and publishing clients including National Geographic, The Bradford Exchange, McDonalds, Warner Brothers and Random House.

After years of creating art to satisfy the demands of clients, John began to spend more time painting personal pieces. Although a diverse artist, his focus recently has been portrait and figurative work. Most of his paintings are created using acrylics on hardboard, a medium he prefers for its expressive possibilities.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

Like so many other artists, I’ve been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember. My father was an artist and had a studio at home, so there were always art materials of one kind or another at hand. One of my earliest recollections is tracing characters from the Sunday comics and using the drawings to illustrate my own stories.

Did you have any stops and starts in your painting career?

When I was in college and art school I would paint whatever I wanted. I went where my interests led me. When I graduated school, and entered the working world as an illustrator, I began spending less time on my own work. Most of my career has been spent as a “hired gun,” and my focus has been creating artwork for other people’s projects. Rarely did I take time to paint for myself after painting all week for others. I’ve now rediscovered the joy of painting for my own satisfaction and once again I’m painting the things that matter most to me.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

I discovered very early on in my illustration career that I was expected to be fluent with various types of media. Plus, staying busy and making a living, meant wearing a lot of hats. So I might do marker comps in the morning and then work on an oil wash and colored pencil illustration in the afternoon. I became a very diverse artist and learned to work with a wide range of media, all under deadline. One of my first assignments as a freshly minted staff illustrator was to create some airbrushed artwork for a new client. I had never used an airbrush before, but I certainly couldn’t admit as much as a new hire. Luckily my father did a lot of airbrush photo retouching. I took a crash course from him overnight and got through the assignment. The funny thing is I wound up doing a lot more airbrush work over the years.

Enter to win by clicking on the link at the top of the home page announcing John's interview.

Which ones have "stuck" and which ones have fallen away?

I used to love using colored pencil, especially with airbrush. I also love to draw, so using nothing more than a pencil and paper is still a great experience. But the media I use most is acrylic paint. I love the versatility and fast drying time. Being able to apply the same paint in thin washes or thick impastos, in any order, all within minutes is fantastic. I love to build up color by glazing, add some opaque passages, and then glaze some more. Testing has shown that acrylic paint is outstanding from an archival standpoint as well.

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I haven’t completed an oil painting since art school, and I used to do a lot of pastel work so I think about playing around with both of those again from time to time. Most any illustration work I produce now is done digitally, about as “new media” as you can get. There are advantages, and the possibilities for exploration seem endless, but for me nothing can replace the tactile quality of traditional materials.

When people mention inspiration I always think of the Chuck Close quote, “Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work.” Having said that, I get a creative charge from many things. Looking at art that is very different from mine is great. I love to see how other people look at the world and the ways they choose to show it to us. Many times a solitary, long walk with the dog or a bike ride is a great way to get the wheels spinning.

What does procrastination look like for you?

I’m not real big on procrastination. See the quote above. If I have an unpleasant task ahead of me I would rather get it sorted out as soon as possible. And I get crabby if I’m not working on something.

That can be a tough one. As with anything else you need to set your priorities and do what you can to stick to them, although we all know life has a way of disrupting even the best made plans. In general, I try to get the “must do” stuff out of the way first and go from there. I think it’s important to use the time you do have as wisely as possible. It can be awfully easy to be distracted by things like social media, and promotion and marketing take up a huge amount of time. But I do my best to spend at least some time in studio every single day. Nothing worse than having to spend what time you do schedule for work, trying to overcome being rusty and out of shape. Athletes work out, musicians practice, it’s no different for artists.

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I’ve tried to write several blog posts about where ideas come from and I’ve never got it right. I do think ideas come to you most often when you allow yourself to be open to them. The other morning my wife and I were out for a walk. We both passed a spot where a small green shoot was bursting up through the concrete street next to a cast iron access cover stamped “Water.” It was a beautiful little urban scene, dramatically lit by morning sun. She saw it and took a great photo. My mind was elsewhere and if not for her I would have missed it completely. Observations like this can be onramps that lead to all kinds of places. But you need to be in the right frame of mind to recognize the possibilities.

How do you keep art "fresh?" What techniques have helped you avoid burnout and keep your work vibrant and engaging?

I’ll move back and forth between different subjects from time to time. Creating some small studies is a nice alternative to long form finished works for example. I enjoy painting people and portraits, but I’ve been doing some small fishing lure studies and some urban landscape explorations. I spent time at a local fair this summer which generated a few pieces depicting neon signs and fair booths with their reflections and fluorescent lit interiors. I’d love to turn some of these into large paintings. I’m an antique car fan and I've even played around with pinstriping. About as left field as you can get. But there are many things you can learn from, and get rejuvenated by, when working with one of these seemingly disparate subjects or disciplines, that apply directly to your main area of interest.

What do you feel you are learning about right now as an artist?

So many things. I’ve been playing with some different portrait styles. A sort of simple, stripped down presentation with an emphasis on tight focus. And I have an idea for a portrait series I would like to undertake. I have done a few larger paintings that use multiple layers of glazes to build form and value and I’ve applied the paint with everything from a toothbrush to a rag in addition to standard brushes. I’ve also been experimenting with different varnishes. There are many products and manufacturers so you need to sort them out and see what works best. I usually work on hardboard panels but now I’m trying out canvas again. The one thing I know for sure? The more I understand the more I know there is to learn.

I often tell people that I don’t paint because I want to, I paint because I have to. There are many aspects of creating art that I enjoy. Learning the technical skills, that is, the craft of painting, solving problems, discovering new methods, all of these bring joy. Although there can be many frustrations along the way, going from that intimidating unmarked surface, with its cold white stare, to a finished painting is an invigorating trip.

But one of the aspects of painting that I enjoy most is knowing that a viewer has made a connection with my work, that I have taken nothing more than a blank surface and some paint and created something that has reached inside and touched them. Even if a viewer’s interpretation is not necessarily what I had in mind, that’s ok. They looked at the work and it made them think or feel, imagine or remember. Seeing my efforts move someone like that is a tremendously gratifying experience. Pure magic.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Each week we will spotlight a different DPW artist who will give away one of their best paintings.To enter to win Shirley's painting, "Short Sharp Sprint" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing his interview.

From Shirley's DPW Gallery page:

My current show of Le Tour de France bike art will be in Amsterdam, as part of the Arps Gallery Window Project for international emerging artists. My web site: shirleypeters.com has biography and galleries. Please hop over there if you'd like to see more of my efforts!

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I wanted to be a painter all my life. At age five, I won a painting competition with my version of "Little Red Riding Hood". From then on I was hooked!

I was also encouraged by both my parents. My mother supplied me and my siblings with large sheets of butcher's paper, and plenty of home-mixed paint. She later introduced me to a neighbour who painted beautiful horses... (inspiring!) and my dad loved to paint landscapes, and was always encouraging.

Did you have any stops and starts in your painting career?

I started as a fine art painting and sculpture student after high school, then swapped to graphic design and multi-media. I slowly returned to painting when commissioned to illustrate children's books. I did a variety of courses to refresh my painting and printmaking skills.

I have painted constantly since the mid eighties, showing in cafes and with groups in artist-run galleries. This year I have found a permanent home in a commercial gallery in Sydney, my home town.

I am usually inspired by the latest 'old master' show that I have seen: today I travelled four hours to see the "Turner from the Tate" show at our National Gallery in Canberra. I loved it, and will now play around with some Turner-esque watercolour stormy skies!

Renaissance painters (like Caravaggio) are my all time favourites. The Impressionists are inspiring for their 'En plein air' work.

The Australian Heildelberg School (Australian Impressionists) from the 19th century, because there are plenty of examples of these painters works in our state galleries.

What does procrastination look like for you?

My housework stops me from working. I love to have the house and my studio neat and tidy before I start.

Often I use photoshop to create my compositions: this can take a long time but it is a process that I use, rather than a delaying technique. It just looks like procrastination to others!

I always paint at night, regardless what I've done in the day. This guarantees one painting session, at least.

Another sure fire way to get working is to book a gallery show! I recently needed twenty-nine works for my first solo show in Sydney: when I drew up a schedule, it meant three new large paintings a week. I worked day and night for that show. And yes, the housework suffered!

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I have to cull my ideas down to one or two projects. Alternative ideas are springing up all the time, and it takes discipline to ignore them and stay focused on the 'projects'.

But my inspiration comes in strange ways: In 2010, a personal tragedy happened. My photographer husband suffered a severe stroke (his favourite camera bag damaged the carotid artery in his neck, and caused a blockage!!) He survived, albeit with only one useful hand and limited walking ability. This meant that he needed an assistant.

So, I now accompany him on all of his jobs. He is a 'construction' photographer, doing time-lapse photography as well as the usual railway and high-rise construction stills. So... I am inspired by the building sites that we visit. Often there are big earth moving machines, and always men in bright orange vests! This new 'job' has become my muse, and I will be painting construction more and more in the future.

Another favourite project for me is Le Tour de France. I love the sport, the riders, the colours and the action. It is such a rich, visual experience. I am not in France, though. I'm in Sydney, Australia, watching the race live on TV. I stand close to the screen with my camera, clicking at the action... as if I was there! This gives me blurred and interesting pictures which I reproduce as watercolour paintings. Originally, I tried to paint the action from 'life', but I was unable to capture more than a few fleeting memories. So the camera is essential to freeze the action. Soon I will start doing these larger, and in oils.

How do you keep art "fresh?" What techniques have helped you avoid burnout and keep your work vibrant and engaging?

1. I think painting en plein air makes one stay fresh.
2. Painting daily is another way... no time to fiddle!
3. Doing three large oil paintings at once - as soon as you get stuck, you move to the next one. Then onto the third. Then, you can look back at the first with a fresh eye.
4. Visit lots of galleries and museums: look at real art, and read about artists.
5. Avoid watching the news, reading newspapers, soap operas, etc. Mass media is bad for creativity.

I am realising it's not how you paint, but what. Most artists can paint well enough, but choosing the right subject to paint is the deal breaker. Paint something that is exciting to you, and it will be a great painting.

What makes you happiest about your art?

I whoop around the house when I make a sale!! Or get accepted into a coveted juried show. Or get the offer to show my work in Amsterdam... the coolest city on the planet!!

But also, I love painting at night, and then waking up to see that the work looks OK in the morning light. I love to have a full day to paint... I take my acrylics and a giant piece of paper out to the beach cliffs, and paint the rocks, on the rocks. Can't get much fun-er than that!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Each week we will spotlight a different DPW artist who will give away one of their best paintings.To enter to win Peter's painting, "Chestnut-backed Chickadee" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing his interview.

From Peter's DPW Gallery page:

My passion, which started early in life, is creating paintings of wild animals in their natural habitat. For me the best part of being a professional artist is spending time in the field, studying and observing birds and animals. We live in such an amazing world, I just want to soak in as much as possible and share it with others through my paintings.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I actually didn't start painting until I was in college at UC Davis and had to take painting classes for my major. While growing up, I had always drawn in pencil and filled sketchbooks of pictures that I would copy or of scenes that I created. Most of them were wildlife related because I loved to hunt and I drew to replace not being out in nature - drawing was an escape. My paintings in college were mostly realistic but I did experiment with some abstract expressionism for quite a few assignments. My professors weren't thrilled that I always leaned toward realism though. One even suggested that I should transfer schools and pursue a design degree.

Enter to win by clicking on the link at the top of the home page announcing Peter's interview.

Did you have any stops and starts in your painting career?

Yes! I have always known that I have wanted to be an artist and have always focused on that goal having painted since college. I worked at Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort immediately after school and sold my first painting to an employee at the resort. I met my wife at the resort and we moved to the Willamette Valley so she could finish her schooling at Oregon State. I tried painting full time for about a year then, but had to find a job because she got pregnant at that time. I went into teaching art, PE and coaching the varsity baseball team at a local high school for five years then left to pursue my art career full time again. I have been painting full time since (8 years) but it has been up and down.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

I think I have pretty much used every 2D media under the sun! And, I paint just about everything you can experience in nature be it landscape, wildlife, people and pets in nature, florals, etc. Basically, if I see something inspiring, it is a possibility.

Water is always a favorite... Birds, wild animals, and landscapes. I've never had a particular interest in still life although I can't explain why. I certainly enjoy looking at still life that is painted well though.

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I am looking forward to exploring more landscapes and maybe not just the larger landscape but some that are small pieces of nature like the base of a tree or part of a wave or a leaf floating in the water. I always enjoy seeing birds and painting the birds that I see so I am looking forward to getting out and getting some ideas. They always surprise me!

Contemporary realistic artists inspire me the most. Robert Bateman, Carl Brenders, Clyde Aspevig, Dan Smith, the list can go on forever and I am always looking at work currently being done. When I participate in shows like Birds in Art (www.lywam.org) or the Waterfowl Festival (www.waterfowlfestival.org) and see the work of the artists in the shows, I always go home super-inspired!

What does procrastination look like for you?

Lol! Checking out sports on the computer.

What techniques work to ensure that you make time for your art?
I try to have set hours from 9-3 during the school year and earlier in the morning during summer but summer vacation complicates things so sometimes I paint at night too.

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?
I spend as much time outdoors as I can. I love to hike, mountain bike, ski, fish, hunt, and camp. Most of my ideas come during those times. Also when I travel to shows I go out every morning and take pictures. Show locations generally will have wildlife areas nearby. Sometimes I travel to national parks.

How do you keep art "fresh?" What techniques have helped you avoid burnout and keep your work vibrant and engaging?

I always look to nature. Nothing is ever the same. No bird or animal will ever be in the same pose and even within species there is individual variation. Light is always changing objects too. Whether it's sunny or cloudy or early, mid-day, or late, things are never the same - everything is in a constant state of change. When I paint outdoors 'en plein air', it always amazes me how different the landscape looks from the time I started the painting.

How hard it is to capture subtleties. For example if looking at a green coffee cup, which I am doing right now, not one quarter of an inch is the same color as the next. The shadows, reflections off the porcelain and the direction of the lighting sources all create many, many shades of green that in a painting would give the illusion of form. Capturing those nuances is what I have been working on. It's an ongoing process and I have a lot to learn! One of the most rewarding things as a painter is successfully capturing a nuance that others may not see but you as an artist know lends to the success of a painting. That is a hard thing to do though! The Mona Lisa is a perfect example of a portrait full of nuance.

What makes you happiest about your art?

After all of the work, emotion, struggle, and time that goes into completing a painting - what makes me happiest is when somebody likes the painting enough to spend their hard earned money on it. And, knowing that the painting will be enjoyed for a lifetime - that is the ultimate compliment! I did a hunting dog portrait for a guy and over time that portrait grew in value. At first, it was of his dog that he hunts with. Then when his dog passed away it represented all of the good times he spent doing something he loved with his dog. When he himself is unable to hunt that painting will have even more meaning and someday, his kids will see the painting as something their dad loved to do. Art has an intrinsic value that grows over time and when you hear a story like that - a painting becomes much more than what it originally started as... That makes me happiest.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Each week we will spotlight a different DPW artist who will give away one of their best paintings.To enter to win Pamela's painting, "Aqua Sugar Bowl" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing her interview.

From Pamela's DPW Gallery page:

I grew up on Cape Cod and I have been an artist all my life. After studying art and design during college, I moved to Boston, Chicago and now Los Angeles. I have worked as a creative director and graphic designer for over 20 years. During that time in my career, I always continued to paint in oils and watercolor.

My body of work is quite diverse and eclectic in subject matter. I have a deep affinity for watercolor and oil painting; these days I am mostly painting landscapes, ocean views, striking architecture and nature as well as still life and animal subjects.

I have taught all levels of art students -- from beginner to advanced -- and love to teach and mentor other artists. In 2006, I began exhibiting in more art shows and continue to this day. I do commission work and recently did some work for clients in the Los Angeles and New England areas.

Thank you so much for stopping by and taking a look. Please follow my blog at www.pamelaharnois.blogspot.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pamelaharnoisartist to receive information on my workshops, art shows and Etsy sales!

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

Ever since I can remember I have always been interested in art. I remember my mother taking art lessons when I was seven and she got me a standing easel that I had in my bedroom. I just knew from that moment on my future was in the visual arts. I started taking my art more seriously during junior high and high school. I began to participate in local and state art shows. I then took design and art classes in college and graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a Fine Arts degree in painting.

Enter to win by clicking on the link at the top of the home page announcing Pamela's interview.

Did you have any stops and starts in your painting career?

I certainly did. After college I found work as a graphic designer in the food and entertainment industries. I had to focus on my main career as a graphic designer but used my weekends to paint whenever I could. Somewhere in between my work commitments I found time to teach painting, and that continues to this day. My desire to draw, paint and teach never went away and became much more prominent as I was winding down my graphic design career.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

I've experimented with many different kinds of art mediums. Everything from ceramics, jewelry making, wood, mixed-media, acrylics, watercolor, oil painting, pastels, and drawing - but I always come back to watercolor and oil painting.

Watercolor. It has to be watercolor. I love water and paint and I love how it mixes and turns all over the place. Over the years, I have learned how to control it and work with it; I love the fluidity and what it does on paper. Watercolor is still so natural for me and I've gotten a lot more confident. I like what I produce, and I get good response to my work. Finally, I like that I can work fast with watercolor.

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I am always looking to explore different mediums -- particular the ones I can combine with watercolor. I've been doing a lot of watercolor with pastels. Also, I'm trying watercolor on different substrates. For instance, the mixed-media canvases are lots of fun. I like experimenting with layering washes on top of washes -- to get a much more translucent look. I am experimenting in doing more loose type of painting. I'm also fascinated by Chinese watercolor painting and have been exploring more in that style. The Chinese brushes hold water differently, and are painted onto different papers. The saturation of the paint on the paper is something I find very challenging at this point. I've also been teaching more and mentoring art students, and find that I have a lot to share with artists -- all the valuable techniques that I've learned over time.

I get my inspiration from so many sources -- from music, life, nature -- pretty much everything around me. Lately I'm very inspired by my kitchen. I get a lot of inspiration from American vintage objects and kitchenware. We love traveling on the East Coast and all over California as well. I like seeing the northeast woods and the California hillsides are very inspirational. Also, California impressionist painters, with their beautiful color palettes and how they captured light so beautifully.

What does procrastination look like for you?

I am actually very focused on my goal setting and usually have my yearly creative goals planned out by the end of January. In addition to several galleries, I'm part of a goal setting group and that really keeps me moving forward every day.

I make a conscious effort to always have projects pinned on my large creative bulletin board, which is above my desk and next to my drafting table in my studio. Sometimes as I get ideas I will pin them on the bulletin board so that I can look at each piece of artwork and think about them. They may be in either sketch form or defined as a project that I will be working on soon. That allows ideas to gel before I actually put them on paper. My motto: stay off television and in general I limit my time on the internet to less than an hour per day.

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

My ideas pretty much come from everyday life. Things that I see that move me emotionally and make me want to explore something that catches my personal interest. It may be something that I think other people might also enjoy, and sometimes I want to deliver a message through it.

How do you keep art "fresh?" What techniques have helped you avoid burnout and keep your work vibrant and engaging?

That's actually a really good question. I try to keep my schedule balanced, with work, working on my art, exercise, meditation, and relaxation, which are as important as working on my various art projects.

I am learning that the most important thing about being an artist is building relationships with other artists and to be part of an artistic and creative community. Learning to just get out there and express myself as an artist through my work and through dealing with the general public about my art. I'm working harder at creating my own style of painting that is unique and building off of styles of other artists by whom I am inspired.

What makes you happiest about your art?

I love the entire creative process: conceptualizing, contemplating, planning, creating and painting the art. I love how creating art makes me feel, as if I'm not really here. I'm so busy trying to focus on composition and color and tone that I get swept away. Those moments are something like mindful meditation -- very similar to when I play tennis or another sport. I can be in the moment and I'm not thinking about anything else except painting. All I'm thinking about is composition, color, design and three general tones. It becomes a part of me, and I become a part of it.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Each week we will spotlight a different DPW artist who will give away one of their best paintings.To enter to win Alex's painting, "Psychedelic" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing her interview.From Alex's DPW Gallery page:

Alex Zonis is a self-taught artist. She started drawing in graphite in 2009, worked in watercolor, and now is painting in oil. Prior to drawing and painting, Alex was creating beaded tapestries woven on a loom. Her tapestries were shown in several galleries nation-wide, including SOFA Chicago and New York.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I started drawing and then painting out of envy of my father. I always wanted to paint, but was convinced that I couldn't. My father started painting when he retired. It was the last straw, I couldn't take it anymore. I started drawing and then painting too. It was 2009.

I am pretty sure oil is here to stay. There is just too much to do and to learn and to discover within the universe of oil painting. But I am thinking of experimenting with traditional oil techniques on non-traditional surfaces, and also about bringing iconographic elements into my paintings.

Who or what inspires you most?

Old and modern masters. I want it all. I want light like Caravaggio, mood like Sargent and story like Russian Peredvizhniks. I also like to put in symbols, puns and hidden meanings. I want it to look like old masters and have a modern feel - like David Gray does it. I know it is impossible - ha! - but it doesn't stop me from trying.

I don't have time for procrastination. I started too late, every day is important. Sometime in the last couple of years, I started thinking of myself as a professional artist. What it means to me is that I get up in the morning, have my tea and go to my studio (formerly known as a dining room). If I can't paint because I have a passage unresolved in my head and don't know what to do, I then do other things: prep next boards, plan future compositions, write in my art blog, do marketing tasks (yuck - but has to be done) or go out to sketch.

What techniques work to ensure that you make time for your art?

I just paint. My family is wonderfully supportive. I tell them that I have to paint, and they make space for me to do that. My husband is a writer, he knows about making space for creative work. My daughter is a university student and seems proud of my art. The cat, on the other hand, does not really get it, but she likes to sleep during the day anyway.

But they are everywhere! It's like harvesting apples, just reach out and grab them! I dream them, I find them in my grocery store, during car rides, while reading random books, sketching alone and with people, working out in the gym, eating ice cream in a corner cafe. And especially visiting my local junk store. There are so many ideas that I keep a list, two lists actually, so I don't lose a good one. One list is a bullet list on my computer, the other a folder of images I collected.

How do you keep art "fresh?" What techniques have helped you avoid burnout and keep your work vibrant and engaging?

I don't do anything. Should I keep them in a fridge? I don't even think in these terms. I am just working a painting the best I can. At some point in the process the painting takes the lead and more or less tells me what needs to happen. Then it informs me when it is finished. They are rather vocal.

I am learning to teach. I have started teaching indirect oil painting. Currently there are two workshops: one is in person in my studio in Chicago and the other - long distance via Skype. I have awesome students and hope they learn as much as I do through our process.

What makes you happiest about your art?

When my composition just worked out - the crop and light and color and ratios; this makes me so happy and excited about a possibility of a great painting, that I cannot settle and have to go work out or something.

When I just finished the first color layer and checked the painting from a distance and know that it will work out!

When the client, having just received a painting, sends me an email saying, "It is so much better in real life!"